The drift of the Schleswig-Holstein affair has through the week
been, on the whole, pacific. Nobody has conceded anything, but there has been a lull, allowing time for reflection. The position today, shortly described, would appear to be this :—Denmark is willing to treat, provided nobody crosses the Eider, but is " entirely resolved" on fighting if they do ; Austria and Prussia have proposed to the Diet to occupy Schleswig, apparently in order to keep the succession question in abeyance, but the Diet, rejecting that motion by 11 to 5, is trying to strike out some, probably dangerous, course for itself ; England is demanding a conference in the interests of peace, and France, while accepting the conference, has suggested to the Diet that the treaty of 1852 was an " impo - tentperformance" (Lord Palmerston drew it up) and has been " con- demned by events ;" while Russia calmly republishes her protocol of 1852, signifying that if the treaty is abolished, the Czar is heir of Gottorp, i.e., Kiel ; and Sweden—well, any one who compre- hends the action of Sweden is better informed than we can pro- fess to be. ' Apparently, the Swedes and Norwegians would like to fight, but the King wants first to squeeze Denmark into terms.
